General - All Areas

CSN Message


Another Year....

Passes very quickly doesn't it. If you were dreaming of a "white one" you got it big style!! As usual throughout the last 12 months CSN has been emphasising deterrents to the criminal's activity. Securing properties, vehicles, being observant as to suspicious or unfamiliar activity and watching out for those rogue traders and informing the police of your concerns and suspicions.
Rogue Traders / bogus callers have been identified as a particular nuisance and often encompasses criminal activity. CSN has pioneered the alerting of such activity over the last couple of years. Often the message is repetitive but then so are the protagonists.
As a result of CSN police identified a number of vehicles used by such individuals and in informing you of activities by them in your area have hopefully prevented these persons taking financial advantage from the more vulnerable members of our community.
Police have carried out operations throughout the province to curb such deception and criminality, identify the culprits and deal with any criminality resulting from their activity. So please, do not feel that a call or message to police about such operators is a wasted one - for these criminals it is an extremely profitable and lucrative practice preying on the elderly and vulnerable.

Successes
We do have them. Many good ones throughout the year. Some big some small but all satisfying as a good result.
My recent favourite being the "hijacker" who stole a car in the Dunmurry area, subsequently abandoned it and made good his escape. Police on arrival unable to avail of canine support utilised their in depth arctic training and followed the footsteps in the snow - straight to the front door of said suspect.

The general response of "No mate - haven't been out tonight" was viewed as a dubious reply by the diligent Constables whose observations included the wet shoes, puddle in the hall and tide marked jeans resulting in one arrest.

It's great to have the "red handed" catch - it's the buzz in our job. However many successes require investigation and hard evidence - we know who the criminals are but Police have to prove their criminal actions before the courts. Information is vital in identifying such criminals and their activity and your continued support in this is both appreciated and encouraged.

Safety & Support
As mentioned your support for policing is vital. Please ensure when requesting police that all details asked for are supplied so that we can verify the call is legitimate. Please ensure emergency calls are not used unnecessarily.

Police do need to ensure their own safety when responding. The rising terrorist threat brings with it grave responsibility when responding to your needs. We have a duty to protect life and preserve property and that includes ourselves.
Appreciate that sometimes we are delayed. We have a huge area to police and distance is a factor. Officers may already be committed to an incident or the prior call may be more urgent or important than yours - this is not to belittle your requirement but each response is different and subsequent enquiries must be dealt with accordingly.
CSN

CSN continues to grow in support and membership. Thank you. This is a great encouragement as are your messages and contributions and cascading of details. Support for the project is generated by your selves as well as local Neighbourhood Policing Teams. The aim is as ever to inform and make people aware of suspicious activity in your area. Prevention, they say, is better than cure.
There have been a few odd occasions this year when CSN messages have been a little sparse. Apologies but it is unfortunately affected by other duty demands as the CSN project is a voluntary concept operating outside normal commitments. "The buck as they say - stops here". But hopefully I get there in the end and I trust you continue to find CSN messages beneficial.
And Finally.....

Take a moment and spare a thought for my colleagues. Many will be working over the festive period. We all wish those officers who served and sacrificed all still had that opportunity. They and their families are in our thoughts. Only today a police officer in Fermanagh and his family have been forced from their home due to a terrorist attack . For some "peace on earth and goodwill to all" may never be the thought or the experience.

As you prepare for the arrival of family and friends over the festive period those in our profession and associated emergency services will be working to ensure the safety of you all no doubt wishing they too could be at home celebrating with their family. Help make it easier and enjoyable for all by enjoying your festivities without going to excess and lapsing into incidents were police are required.

Trust me - its no party consolation when you receive a festive invite to a strangers house via the voice on the "in car entertainment" system as an unwanted guest to partake of your festive beverage fuelled family discussions, neighbourly debates over vehicle parking rights on your apparently personal public highway, unfounded allegations of who drank all the mulled wine and that age old party game favourite of "pin the frying pan on the wife's mother!"

Do not drink and drive.

Many of those of a sober disposition can't hack it in the present conditions nor will you with a few winter warmers on board. The scary ads on the TV are much worse in reality for both victim and perpetrator. When you are caught your life as you know it will be shattered and the despair exceeded only by those who may be a victim of such actions. The true spirit of Christmas is not several % proof.
Airports, rail, buses and roads are all suffering in the extreme as a result of the weather. Take care if you have to travel. My personal journey preference will be to the log pile to get another log for the fire, a good movie and hopefully a slot on the X-box.
Despite current travel delays I am reliably informed that "SC1", sole overnight flight out of the polar regions tomorrow, will not be delayed!

Indeed the Met Office indicate that prevailing conditions are deemed suitable for a speedy overnight progress worldwide for all necessary deliveries to those most important little individuals that have submitted their requests. I trust it is their most exciting time yet and long may they experience it.

May I take this opportunity to wish you and your families all a very Happy Christmas, enjoy what it means and may we all have a very peaceful New Year.
And please, please.............. no calls about the theft of your snowman!!